90 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest, with a 30-second increment from move one.
Pragg opts for the dynamic Sicilian Defense, aiming for sharp, fighting play right from the opening.
Alireza tucks his king away on the kingside, ensuring safety.
Pragg develops his dark-squared bishop into the fianchetto.
Alireza is preparing for a potential central pawn break to seize the initiative.
Pragg advances his central pawn, shutting down Alireza’s pawn break.
Alireza trades his bishop for Pragg’s knight, leaving Pragg with doubled pawns. A subtle concession of the bishop pair, but one that weakens his opponent’s structure.
Pragg takes back with his d-pawn, opening lines for his bishop and queen!
Alireza pushes his pawn forward, creating room to develop both his knight and bishop with flexibility.
Pragg reaches a familiar structure he used against MVL in round 5. Could it be that Alireza has come armed with preparation from that very game?
Alireza develops his knight, ready to maneuver it toward stronger squares and increase his piece activity.
Pragg develops his knight, paving the way for a potential kingside castling and smoother coordination of his pieces.
Alireza pushes his flank pawn forward, gaining space and staking out territory on the queenside.
Pragg places his king on the kingside, securing safety.
Alireza repositions his knight, aiming directly at Pragg’s central pawn and increasing the pressure.
Pragg pulls back his knight, opening the line for his bishop and reinforcing the defense of his pawn.
Alireza brings his bishop into play, subtly targeting Pragg’s doubled pawn.
Pragg repositions his knight, while at the same time creating space for his rook to enter the game.
Alireza advances his pawn, preventing Pragg’s bishop from occupying the key square.
Pragg places his rook on the half open d-file, eyeing potential pressure down the line.
Alireza moves his queen from the d-file, simultaneously connecting his rooks and improving coordination.
Pragg pushes his pawn, reinforcing the c-pawn while opening the diagonal to activate his bishop on the other side.
Alireza initiates a pawn break, aiming to open the position and create activity on the queenside.
Pragg finds a precise move, putting pressure on the queenside.
Alireza retreats his bishop, reinforcing his b-pawn.
The position heats up: Pragg has his powerful bishop pair, facing off against Alireza’s two knights, promising a complex and dynamic struggle!
Alireza captures the pawn, equalizing the material.
Pragg retreats his queen, simultaneously putting pressure on Alireza’s central knight.
Alireza just made a mistake, his center and knights look vulnerable. Can Pragg seize the opportunity and gain the advantage?
Pragg plays a confident move and now seizes the advantage in the position!
Alireza spends 17 minutes on his move, and Pragg now enjoys the upper hand both on the board and on the clock.
Pragg fianchettos his second bishop, fully mobilizing his bishop pair and increasing his control over the long diagonals.
Alireza looks to create counterplay on the queenside, aiming to generate activity and imbalance the position.
Pragg brings his final piece into play, activating his rook and increasing pressure across the board.
Alireza moves his queen off the c-file, simultaneously creating a threat against Pragg’s f-pawn.
Pragg shifts his queen off the d-file, simultaneously defending his f-pawn and maintaining solid coordination.
Alireza activates his rook, placing it on the seventh rank to maximize pressure and create threats.
Pragg initiates a piece trade that works in his favor, simplifying the position while keeping his advantage.
Alireza maintains material balance but weakens his position, giving Pragg dangerous passed pawns on the queenside.
Not the best move, Pragg overlooks an intermediate idea that would have advanced his c-pawn with tempo.
Counterplay on the queenside falls short as Pragg’s passed pawn dominates the position.
Pragg advances his passed pawn, growing more threatening with every step toward promotion.
Alireza brings his knight into play, aiming to control Pragg’s dangerous passed pawn.
Pragg shifts his rook, putting Alireza’s knight under pressure and setting up potential tactical threats!
Alireza scrambles, searching for any tactical opportunities to salvage the position.
What a thrilling encounter! Praggnanandhaa scored a decisive 31-move victory over Alireza, joining Fabiano Caruana at the top of the leaderboard!
The game opened with the Sicilian Defense, and Pragg repeated the same setup he used successfully against MVL in Round 5. The middlegame quickly became exciting, as the position opened up with a dynamic imbalance: Pragg’s powerful bishop pair versus Alireza’s two knights, creating a tense test of patience and calculation.
At the critical moment, Alireza made a mistake, and Pragg capitalized brilliantly, slowly extending his advantage. Under time pressure, Alireza faltered further, allowing Pragg to grab a dangerous passed pawn. With the threat unstoppable, Alireza had no choice but to resign.
This is a massive win for Praggnanandhaa, not only boosting his confidence but also tying him with Caruana for the lead. A bold, precise performance that could shift the tournament dynamics dramatically!
After a long and exciting tournament so far, we’re back in Round 7 of the 2025 Sinquefield Cup, and today’s clash is a must-watch. Alireza Firouzja faces Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, two of the brightest young stars still in the hunt for the top spots.
Both are hungry to climb the leaderboard. Alireza, fresh off a grueling draw with Gukesh in Round 6, is looking to turn his aggressive style into a full point. Praggnanandhaa, who drew against Duda, enters the game with a half-point lead over Alireza, giving him a slight advantage in the tournament race, but also the pressure to maintain his momentum.
With both players in the race and the leaders within reach, today’s game promises sharp ideas, calculated risks, and a fierce battle for every tempo. Who will seize the moment?